What to Watch After *The Hawk* on Netflix
Loved *The Hawk* on Netflix? Here are the best sports comedies to stream next, starting with *The Dink* on Apple TV.
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Will Ferrell as Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
This is Streamalikes, where you can find a curated list of recommendations to stream based on what you already like.
No one does sports comedy like Will Ferrell. His loud, crude, and slightly unbalanced (okay, often extremely unbalanced) comedic persona is ideal for a character like Lonnie Hawkins, aka The Hawk, an aging former pro golfer chasing one last bit of glory while hilariously getting in his own way. What’s great about The Hawk is how precisely pitched it is: Ferrell’s brand of chaos contrasts perfectly with the straitlaced, stuffy world of golf, delivering big laughs with a strong emotional core. If you’re looking for more sports-related mayhem, you should immediately go to Apple TV and watch The Dink.
Why you should watch The Dink if you loved The Hawk
If there’s an actor capable of matching Will Ferrell’s manic energy, it’s Jake Johnson. Though Johnson tends to be a bit more laid back in his approach, he’s one of the few comedians working today who can sell a ridiculous breakdown and a shouty tirade at the same level, and he’s in top form in The Dink. Johnson plays Dusty “The Hammer” Boyd, who was a tennis prodigy as a kid, known for his incredibly precise and powerful serve. When he breaks his wrist during a match with fellow up-and-comer Andy Roddick (yeah, the Andy Roddick), he loses his chance at greatness and the respect of his father, Chuck (Ed Harris in full scowl). As an adult, he’s an instructor at his father’s tennis club, still haunted by his failure and his father’s disappointment.
Dusty is hilarious: filled with rage, followed around by an obsequious assistant, PJ (Aaron Chen), who stokes his delusions of greatness, and absolutely, positively opposed to pickleball in any form. When club member Skip Pigliani (Patton Oswalt) advocates for an official pickleball court, Chuck agrees to settle the matter with a “tennis duel” per the club’s charter. Dusty wins the chance to represent the club in the duel, but injures his hand, prompting Chuck to replace him. Chuck is advised to play pickleball as rehabilitation, leading him to meet Candace (Mary Steenburgen). Slowly, Dusty realizes how stunted he’s been his whole life — and how much he’s lied to himself about the reasons for his mediocrity.
Along the way, however, we get a lot of Dusty’s very funny outbursts and plenty of over-the-top humor that would make Ferrell proud. The final “duel” is one of the funniest things you’ll see in any pickleball-themed film, including Andy Roddick being recruited by Chuck to play against Dusty, and John McEnroe randomly showing up to eat hot dogs and do a very funny play-by-play of the match. The Dink is funny, but it’s also got a lot of heart, and it has something to say about found family, how competition can sour into obsession, and, yes, pickleball. If you loved The Hawk, it’s the perfect follow-up. Stream The Dink on Apple TV.
More movies to watch if you liked The Hawk
Need even more athletic chaos in your movie rotation? Here are a few more movies that absolutely fit the vibe that The Hawk is laying down.
Caddyshack (1980)
If you love the “snobs versus slobs” thread embedded in The Hawk, go watch this all-time great golf comedy. With a behind-the-scenes production almost as insane as the comedy on the screen, Caddyshack represents a high-water mark for Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Rodney Dangerfield (with able support by an absolutely deranged Ted Knight) as they (sometimes literally) chew the scenery at the uber-fancy Bushwood Country Club. There’s a story somewhere in there, but mainly this is just a few comedy geniuses having a great time on the golf course, and fans of The Hawk will love it — especially Dangerfield’s loud and proud Al Czervik. Rent Caddyshack on Prime Video.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
If you want more golf comedy that dances over the line of absurdity with what scientists call enthusiasm, this Adam Sandler classic is required viewing. Sandler plays the title character, an aspiring hockey player with a powerful slapshot, no other skills, and a serious temper — who discovers an unlikely talent for golf and enters the pro tour to save his grandmother’s house. Like The Hawk, it pairs an outsider’s chaotic energy against the buttoned-up world of professional golf, with results that remain endlessly quotable decades later. Stream Happy Gilmore on Netflix.